🙋♂️ WBD Shareholders Approve Landmark Sale
Shareholders of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) have voted in favor of a historic merger with David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance. The deal's figures are staggering: $31 per share in cash, valuing WBD’s equity at $81 billion.
Key Developments:
- CEO Pay Pushback: Shareholders rejected a proposed compensation package for WBD CEO David Zaslav that could have reached $800 million. However, the vote is non-binding and serves as a formal recommendation.
- Debt Concerns: The combined entity will carry a total debt load of nearly $80 billion. Rating agencies have already begun categorizing Paramount’s assets as “junk” status.
- Production & Strategy: Ellison has pledged an ambitious output of 30 films per year and committed to maintaining a 45-day theatrical window before titles transition to streaming.
The acquisition is being financed by the Ellison family (founders of Oracle) with backing from Middle Eastern investors. The family’s close ties to Donald Trump have already prompted inquiries from Democratic senators.
The deal must still clear rigorous antitrust reviews in the U.S., the EU, and the UK. If the regulatory process proceeds without major hurdles, the merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026.
Source: Dni Medialogistiki
